Cautious optimism

Rookie shortstop Tommy Manzella is cautiously optimistic about an early return to action after an X-ray of his left index finger showed the fracture was healing properly and he was able to move the finger.

Team doctor Tom Mehlhoff gave Manzella the OK to begin range-of-motion exercises Tuesday.

"Everything turned out pretty good," Manzella said. "We were able to bend it at least a decent amount — from (the finger) being straight so long you can only do so much - so the goal the next two weeks is to get complete range of motion back."

Manzella was placed on the 15-day disabled list June 23 and told he would be out six weeks.

"I'm hoping for it to be a little less (time)," Manzella said. "As an athlete you always want to get back a little bit quicker."

Fulchino gets second look

The Astros will have Jeff Fulchino's right elbow re-evaluated because the righthander continues to experience soreness when throwing, manager Brad Mills said.

Fulchino went on the 15-day disabled list June 29 with elbow tendinitis.

Welcome home

Playing at Minute Maid Park for the first time since being selected to his first All-Star Game, Michael Bourn celebrated by treating the hometown crowd to a 2-for-5 performance that included two runs scored and a stolen base.

The stolen base, which came in the first inning, was Bourn's NL-leading 26th of the season.

Bourn's defensive work and superb base-running ability - he also led the league in stolen bases in 2009 - played in his favor in being tabbed for the Midsummer Classic.

"He's one of the few guys who always has a green light (to steal)," Astros manager Brad Mills said. "Not just on this ballclub but in all of baseball because of the success that he has had."

Wandy stays stingy

Wandy Rodriguez made sure to extend a streak of consecutive stingy outings by the starters to six games with his seven-inning, one-run effort.

Starting pitchers have allowed just five runs over a 39 2/3-inning span. The Astros are 3-3 in those games.

Attendance watch

• Tuesday: 23,210

• 2010 season (through 41 home games): 1,123,333

• 2009 season (through 41 home games): 1,209,592

• Behind: 86,259

• 2010 average: 27,398

• 2009 average: 29,502

He said it

"There's nothing I can do about it, so there's really no sense in worrying about it until they approach you and ask you if you would accept a trade or stay here. I don't know what they're thinking, (but) I know the ball is not in my court; it's in their court."

—Astros righthander Roy Oswalt, on talk of a potential trade. Oswalt said he has yet to hear anything from the Astros regarding the matter.

Odds and ends

Jeff Keppinger (3-for-4, RBI) extended his hitting streak to eight games. ... Carlos Lee’s solo shot in the first inning snapped a string of 19 homerless games (71 at-bats). ... Rookie catcher Jason Castro snapped an 0-for-13 streak with a single in the sixth inning.

Coming up

Brian Moehler(1-4, 5.20 ERA), who has a 2.70 ERA over his last three starts, faces fellow righthanderDaniel McCutchen(1-3, 8.87) tonight.